Letters to the Editor: March 31, 2019

Subsidy for LPG is for families having a combined income of Rs 10 lakhs per annum with the central government appealing those above the stipulated income-limit to voluntarily surrender subsidy. However, instead of expecting voluntary surrender, the Union Petroleum Ministry should ask to submit affidavits regarding total family-income to avail subsidy. This will drastically reduce LPG subsidy-burden on the exchequer because those not having voluntarily surrendered subsidy will then avoid filing wrong affidavits to get a subsidy.

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Net payable price including of all central and local taxes should be rounded in multiples of Rs 10 or 50 because delivery-persons never return balance-money. The system will further reduce financial burden on the exchequer because of LPG subsidy. At least LPG, if not petrol and diesel, can be brought under GST network for uniformity of prices throughout the country.

New-look translucent LPG cylinders made of fibre-glass ensuring tamperproof full-load supply of LPG gas per cylinders should replace old iron-cylinders with iron-cylinders discontinued to be manufactured in future.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

Abnormal heavy discounts on online sale

Multi-page super-costly advertisements are usually seen in leading newspapers offering extra-ordinary heavy discounts on popular-branded electrical and electronics items. Even extra heavy discount is added if items are purchased through credit-cards issued by some specific banks.

Discussion with dealers all over the capital city of Delhi investing hugely for the trade of these items revealed that companies sell all their obsolete models and returned items after claim lodged by consumers through such on-line sale. If it is really so, then all such media-publicity should be directed to compulsorily boldly mention about such bitter reality. Obsolete models and returned items on a claim can then also be sold through dealer-network abolishing warranty-conditions and clearly mentioned on items and invoices about discounted rates, where consumers will be an advantage on selecting required items by seeing in showrooms of dealers.

Department of Consumer-Affairs should make proper study-report on an aspect of extra-ordinary heavy discounts through online sale, and logic behind banks giving extra discounts if such on-line purchase is made through their credit cards.

Madhu Agrawal

Code of Conduct for saffron flags?

Recently, I read news about police pressurising members of ‘Chhatrapati Shivaraya Janmotsava Sohala Samiti’ at Kurla, Mumbai, for removing saffron flags mounted at various places during a procession taken out on the occasion of ‘Shiva-jayanti’ and the reason given was Code of Conduct made applicable due to elections. It made one wonder since when was Shivaraya’s saffron flag brought under the purview of Code of Conduct. Saffron flags are displayed during programs held by Shiv Sena; but like flags of other parties, Shiv Sena has never claimed that saffron flag was its official flag. As such, the saffron flag doesn’t belong to any party and it is in fact, a victory-pennon that reminds valiant history of Maharashtra. Under this saffron flag, Shivaraya had brought few ‘mawlas’ together, forming his army. Under this very saffron flag, did Shivaraya establish his huge ‘Hindavi Swaraj’ that was considered to be a dream? Bajirao Peshava and Maratha warriors fought till the end against five powerful kings and the British, for flying of this saffron flag with grace. How can Maharashtra accept bringing such historical saffron flag under the frame of Code of Conduct?

Naresh Gharat

How safe are parking lots in Railway Station areas?

In this country, Railway Administration has given land in the area of few railway stations to private contractors on rent, for parking of two-wheelers. A few persons staying near railway stations are running the business of ‘Pay & Park’. Hundreds of two-wheelers are parked at these places for the whole day. After India’s air-strike over Pakistan, ‘high alert’ has been declared in many important cities, including Mumbai. Mumbai is always on the ‘hit-list’ of terrorists. Considering the earlier bomb-blasts carried out in Mumbai, it is easy for terrorists to hide explosives in the storage area of two-wheelers. Most of the ‘Pay & Park’ areas near railway stations in this country are not under CCTV surveillance and wherever such systems are provided, they are either not adequate or non-operative. Therefore, from the viewpoint of citizens’ safety, it is essential to keep a watch on such two-wheeler-parking lots, in at least such railway station areas which are over-crowded.